A Reason to Live
by silentnight00
Summary: Naruto was a shinobi that hid a lot of things. Only his most precious people even got a glimpse of his true self. So what happens when his precious people start pressuring him into revealing his hidden skills and persona? He finds the best time to do it for all to see. But what happens if he catches the attention of a certain redhead with a murderous temper while he was at it? YAOI
1. Chapter 1

_Ok, this is my first story on here, so any critique would be helpful, though please don't be rude about it. Naruto is going to be powerful, though not right away and hopefully not over powered either. This is a **Yaoi** story between Naruto and Gaara, though it doesn't just center around that, just to warn you, if you don't like it, don't read. This will contain a bit of Sakura bashing at first, but it won't last long and she'll get better. Sasuke is ultimately good and will be like a brother to Naruto, so there ya go. **Warnings:** there will be child abuse, attempted rape, explicit language, violence, boyxboy relationships, and council bashing. _

_Enjoy a bit of background into the family relationship of Naruto and Sasuke._

If anyone had asked Naruto what he had planned on doing after the academy that day, he would have probably told you he was going to eat ramen until he was sick. It would have been a lie of course; he really would have been training in his secret training ground that the Hokage let him use. But no one bothered to ask the village pariah anyway, and both accounts would have been wrong. In fact, Naruto was doing the very last thing he ever thought he would be doing. He was sitting on a dock next to his self-proclaimed rival in silent companionship.

How this miracle happened you may ask? Well it went a little something like this…

**Flashback**

Naruto was the last one to exit the academy, like usual. He had no one to wait for him, so the seven year old didn't bother to hurry and leave, he was just going to be training more anyway, like he did every day after school until he could barely move. It was only thanks to his regenerative ability that enabled him to get back up in the morning for his morning run, then back to school, and repeat. Every single day. It was getting tiresome.

As he was walking, he passed by the docks and saw a sight that was quickly becoming an everyday thing. Sasuke Uchiha, sitting on the edge of the docks, looking out miserably over the water. He had sat there every day after school, ever since he woke up in the hospital after the Uchiha massacre. Naruto didn't blame him for not wanting to go home right away. Not after everything the dark haired boy had been forced to witness there.

Naruto was about to keep walking, like every day, not paying much attention to his rival. He never cared much for him. Sasuke always thought he was better than him and had a superior attitude that Naruto just couldn't stand. But something forced his legs to remain still as he watched the last Uchiha and pity welled up inside him. Sasuke was like him now. Alone in the world with no one to truly understand. No one to just be there for support, or true companionship. Naruto would have never wished that on his worst enemy.

Forcefully, the blonde pushed the pity aside. He hated it when people looked at him in pity, even though only one or two in the thousands of heated glares looked at him that way, so he refused to feel that way. Pity helped no one. Instead, a look of understanding fell over his face and he found his legs unconsciously moving toward the other boy.

Sasuke looked up as he reached his side with carefully veiled curiosity, but an open look of hostility, he just wanted to be alone and not be bothered, even if a little voice in the back of his head denied that thought. Sasuke pushed the voice away and said in an indifferent tone, "Go away dobe. Your presence isn't wanted here."

Naruto snorted and sat anyway, careful not to touch the other boy, he had an issue with skin to skin contact outside of combat. "You're not the first to tell me that Teme. The entire village reminds me every day how much I'm not wanted."

It was Sasuke's turn to snort, but he otherwise ignored the blonde. They sat in silence for a while, which generally shocked the Uchiha. He didn't think that Naruto could go a couple seconds without making some idiotic comment. He watched his unwanted companion discreetly for a while and was actually surprised at what he saw, or at least, what Naruto allowed him to see for he was beginning to realize that the loud mouth had taken down part of his mask, a mask that he didn't know about until just now.

Naruto was leaning back on his hands, his feet hanging out over the water. His eyes were closed and his expression almost peaceful, but Sasuke saw the pain in his features. The pain he hid so well when he tried. He was wearing his usual white t-shirt with the swirl on the front and orange cargo shorts with lots of pockets. His clothes hid it well, but now that he was paying attention, he could see just how malnourished the blonde was. He was skin and bones, though the muscles he did have were lean and clearly trained as much as they could be in such condition. It made him wonder just how his classmate lived. He knew he was an orphan, but surely the orphanage fed their charges.

"What are you doing here Naruto?" Sasuke finally asked.

Naruto smiled, but it wasn't his usual face splitting grin, it was sad and self-depreciative. It made Sasuke slightly uncomfortable. This Naruto was new and he wasn't sure what to make of him.

"You looked lonely. I promised myself I would never let someone be alone when they are hurting, not if I could help it. Everyone needs support at some point, even if it's silent."

Sasuke was struck dumb for a second. Whatever he had expected, it wasn't that. Then he bristled, "What would you know about it!? You've always been alone, you don't know what it's like losing everything you've ever known in one night! I don't need anybody!" And he got up angrily to leave, but was stopped by Naruto's soft voice.

"Would you like to hear the story of how my parents died? I was there you know, and even though everyone thinks that I can't remember, being a newborn and all, it is the one memory that never leaves me. I have a photographic memory Sasuke. I will never forget from the moment I was born until the day I die."

Sasuke hesitated. He wanted to storm off in a rage, but a larger part of him wanted to listen to the blonde, wanted to hear his story, wanted to understand, wanted someone to understand _him_. So he sat back down.

"The Third doesn't want anyone to know, I won't tell you their names, or what exactly happened, but you're smart, so I'm sure you can guess the missing pieces. He thinks it would be dangerous if this got out and it probably would be, but I am beyond caring. If assassins come, then so be it."

Now Sasuke was really intrigued and scooted just a little closer. Naruto tensed, but continued anyway.

"It was the day I was born. The day the Kyuubi attacked. My parents were fighting it, both of them, even though my mom had just gave birth and nearly died doing so. My mom had a bloodline that could somewhat control the fox, but she was severely weakened and couldn't keep it up. I was there when they died. The fox was about to run me through with his claw. Both of them jumped in the way, the claw going through their chests, and coming out the other side just inches from me. I can still remember the way their blood mixed together and fell on me in rivers. I remember the way they smiled at me and told me how much they loved me. Their last words engraved themselves on my brain.

I always had the memory. For a while, I didn't truly understand what it was or where it came from, but by the time I was three, I could understand and I finally felt their loss. I didn't know them long, but that was the first and only time I've felt the love of someone. The village blames me for the Fox's attack. I was the only one born that day. I am their scapegoat and I don't truly begrudge them that. They still grieve after all."

Sasuke was silent for a while, digesting the new information. He was surprised to hear that Naruto could remember that far back. It must have been terrible confusing. But one thing didn't make any since.

"Why were you on the battlefield and not the hospital?"

Naruto looked at him with serious, deep blue eyes as if judging him worthy of the knowledge and it struck the Uchiha once again just how much of his personality the blonde hid, and if it's true that the village blamed the attack on him (an absurd thought, he had just been born for Kami's sake) then he didn't blame him for hiding so much.

"The Fourth Hokage needed a human sacrifice." Naruto said softly and got a very confused look in return but Naruto just smiled that sad smile again and shook his head, "Maybe one day I'll tell you the full story, but it is supposed to be an S-class secret, even if the whole older generation knows."

Sasuke gave a disgruntled look, but dropped it, the blonde barely knew him, even if he was as dense as he pretended to be, not even Naruto would tell someone he didn't really know such a secret. And you didn't exctly here him telling the whiskered boy _his_ life story.

**End Flashback**

So they sat quietly until the sun went down , then walked home together until their paths split. Sasuke continued on toward his empty compound, and Naruto turned and headed off to his rundown apartment. Neither commented of their newly formed friendship, or how much the silent understanding between the two really helped the other. They already knew. And they knew that nothing could break the bond that had formed between them, not even the village that hated one, and loved the other.


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's chapter 2, no Gaara yet, but he will be in the next chapter. This skips all the way to after wave, just assume everything before this was the same as cannon, except naruto's crush on Sakura. That's just…no. I hate her… _

Chapter 2

Team seven trudged through the gates of Konoha after returning from a C turned A ranked mission a bit worn down. After facing Zabuza and Haku, then thinking that Sasuke died for him, then losing it and nearly giving in to the Kyuubi Naruto was understandably a bit down.

His teammates were starting to worry about him. The usual exuberant blonde hadn't made a single noise on the journey home. He had kept to himself, not even trying to aggravate the last Uchiha, which he liked to make a sport out of. Sasuke was worried the most. He knew that Naruto was actually quieter and laid back then he let on, but he was never this silent. Something was up.

Naruto just couldn't get the picture of his pseudo-brother's lifeless body out of his head. Sasuke almost died because he didn't go full out in his fight with the ice user. He had been so used to holding back, hiding his true abilities, that it bled over into actual combat and nearly cost him his only family member.

The blonde jinchuuriki was really beating himself up over it. His Jiji, the Hokage, had warned him this could happen. The old man had told him to drop his mask and show what he was really capable of. But Naruto had been scared. He didn't know Sakura, or Kakashi well enough to be himself around them and neither one were helping that much with their behavior. Sakura still thought he was a brainless idiot, and never listened to anything he said, and Kakashi never gave him the time of day to even begin showing what he was really capable of.

Now, he had to shape up. He had no choice. Sasuke could have died and it would have been completely his fault.

"Stop blaming yourself Naruto." Sasuke's voice broke through his revere, and brought the other two's attention to them as well as they made their way to the Hokage Tower.

Naruto ignored the other two and turned to the darker haired boy, "I almost got you killed Sasuke because I refused to go all out in a battle to the death."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "It was my choice to jump in front on the attack. And I don't blame you. I know you have trouble trusting others with your true strength."

"Psh, what strength? The Baka is right Sasuke-kun, he nearly got you killed. He shouldn't even be a ninja." Sakura cut in, their so called teacher didn't bother to defend him either.

Sasuke's eyes snapped to their female teammate, his Sharingan activating instinctively in defense to his brother, "And what about you Sakura? What were you doing during the battle? Being useless."

"Sasuke." Naruto sighed tiredly.

The Uchiha relaxed slightly and the red faded from his eyes.

"Mah, you guys no more arguing, we are almost there." Kakashi cut in with an eye-smile.

They all stopped talking as they entered the Hokage's office, but Naruto caught the look on Sasuke's face saying that the conversation wasn't over. Naruto sighed again, but smiled at his brother's concern. It felt nice to have someone to worry about him.

Feeling a bit better, the blonde stood calm and relaxed as their sensei gave the report. It was beginning to get easier being himself and not acting like the hyperactive idiot.

"Team 7, dismissed. Meet by the bridge same time as always." Kakashi said as he finished with the Hokage and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto stretched and folded his hands behind his head as he walked out of the tower with his two teammates beside him, an easy grin on his face. Sakura was pestering Sasuke for a date and Sasuke was doing his best to ignore the annoying girl.

"You guys wanna go get Ichiraku's?" The blonde offered.

Before Sakura could make a despairing remark to the shorter boy, Sasuke cut in with an agreeable noise, making her quickly agree as well. "But you have to change first Naruto." Sasuke quickly amended, eyeing the orange monstrosity that Naruto always wore. The first time the Uchiha had seen his friend in that thing he thought he was in a nightmare. He tried everything he could to get rid of it. He threw it away, buried it, burnt it to a crisp, and still it kept coming back. He suspected that Naruto has an entire closet full of them.

Naruto looked down in confusion. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing? Orange is my color."

Resisting the urge to facepalm, Sasuke tried a different approach, "I thought you were going to try and drop your mask and start being a good ninja? What kind of ninja wear's clothes that practically glow in the dark?"

The blonde glared at the Uchiha for dissing his jumpsuit. He loved the thing. "I wore this same suit while painting the entire Hokage monument, in broad daylight, and didn't get caught until I was done."

With an eye roll Sasuke replied, "Your unnatural ability to disappear when you want to, is your greatest skill but it would be even better if you would actually wear ninja colors. No one you be able to find you then."

Naruto just grunted and kept walking towards his destination, while Sakura couldn't believe how much Sasuke was talking in public. He never spoke this much around her, and to hear him doing so with Naruto of all people made a shot of jealousy shoot through her.

"I won't buy you anymore ramen until you buy more practical clothing." Sasuke threw out his ultimatum with a hidden smirk.

Naruto froze in horror before slowly turning to the dark haired boy, disbelief in his clear blue eyes. "You wouldn't do that, would you? That…that would be too cruel. Even for you."

Sasuke closed his eyes to fight off the kicked puppy look that Naruto was displaying and crossed his arms. "No more ramen. Until you change clothes. Clothes that I pick out."

Naruto hung his head in defeat. No matter how much he loved his suit, he loved ramen more. He turned and headed off into the clothing store district, missing the look of triumph that flickered over the Uchiha's face. Neither of them remembered their pink haired teammate, who followed along, confused.

Never again. Never again would Naruto go shopping with Sasuke. He was worse than a girl! (When he said that to him, Sakura had hit him into the ground) It took three whole hours to find something that Sasuke approved of, and it didn't have a single piece of orange on it! He had to pretty much drag himself to Ichiraku's, he was so hungry. Sasuke was a sadist. He had to be.

The next morning Naruto woke up and went to get dressed, only to find all of his orange suits missing and a note stuck to the back of the closet with his new outfit under it.

_Everything in this closet has been burnt to a crisp. Wear the new gear, or else._

_ - Sasuke_

Hanging his head in defeat, Naruto begrudgingly pulled on the new outfit. It consisted of black, baggy, ANBU styled pants with bandages wrapped around the bottom, a long sleeved, fishnet shirt, under a skin tight, black, muscle shirt with a dark red trench coat that was tight up top, flared out at the waist, and fell to mid-calf. He had on black, combat boots, and had a kunai pouch tied to his right leg, with a pouch at his waist that held sealing supplies, something that he was secretly very good at, though definitely no Jiraiya of the Sannin or Fourth Hokage, he was well on his way to giving them a run for their money.

After a quick breakfast Naruto raced off to the bridge to wait for their perpetually late sensei.

When he got there, the other two were already there waiting. Sasuke smirked at the blondes annoyed glare and Sakura gapped at how different he looked when he wasn't in that baggy jumpsuit. He looked, well, handsome. It showed off the muscles that she would have never guessed that he had, and made him took taller than he was.

Naruto shook his head at their expressions, his unruly hair parting lightly as he did, showing a glint of metal in his left ear.

"Naruto, is your ear pierced?" Sakura sounded incredulous as she asked that.

The blonde look at her confused as he brushed his hair to the side and showed her the small metal that hung from his earlobe with the kanji for _Fox_ written on it. He had had it ever since he met the Kyuubi and struck a deal with it when he was nine. It had been so long since anyone had commented on it, he thought everyone knew.

"I've had it since I was nine, Sakura."

"Oh." Was her only comment.

When Naruto first met the Kyuubi, he wasn't sure what to expect. He had always known about the fox, of course, he remembers the day it was sealed after all, but he had no idea how the fox would react to him.

The meeting was an accident though. It was Naruto's birthday and some drunken civilians decided to track him down and give him his yearly beating. It was worse than normal and to escape the pain, Naruto had subconsciously slipped into his mindscape.

After they got over the whole **"I'm a great fox demon, I'm going to eat you puny mortal"** thing, they managed to work out an understanding. They would be civil to each other, the fox wouldn't bother him, and Naruto wouldn't use any of the fox's chakra without permission, which the fox said wouldn't happen until Naruto proved to be better than his previous two Jinchuuriki's. Better at what, he didn't know and the fox didn't elaborate.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted as he poofed in.

"You're late! Again!" Sakura rounded on their sensei.

The masked shinobi eye-smiled until he looked up to see a hawk circling above them. "Well, looks like you guys get the day off. Meet here tomorrow, same time." Then he was gone.

"Really?" Naruto deadpanned at the space their sensei just disappeared from.

"Well, since we have time, how about a date Sasuke?" Sakura asked with a blush.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, eyeing the female in distaste, "You're weak Sakura. Maybe you should try training instead of chasing me. You'll end up holding us back."

He walked away, leaving a depressed Sakura with Naruto trying to cheer her up, while feeling slightly guilt about agreeing with his pseudo brother.

The two teammates walked down the road in silence, until Sakura noticed they were being followed.

"Um, Naruto?" She asked, causing him to raise an eyebrow in her direction, "Is there a reason that we have a square rock with eyeholes following us?"

"Just ignore them, they'll go away." He answered, not even looking back.

After a while of still being followed, Naruto got exasperated and spun around to face his stalkers. "Really Konohamaru? That's your worst disguise yet! What rock is perfectly square and has eye holes?"

"Ha! I knew we couldn't fool you, boss!" The rock said, before exploding into a cloud of smoke revealing Konohamaru and his two stooges.

Naruto sighed, "Why are you following me?"

"You promised to play ninja with us, remember?" The kid said with a big smile.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. He did not remember making that promise at all.

"What kind of ninja _plays_ ninja?" a snide voice cut in.

Konohamaru looked over at the pink haired kunoichi and grinned slyly, "Who's this boss? Is she your, you know." He held up a pinky suggestively.

Naruto snorted, while Sakura looked disgusted, "No. She is definitely not my type."

"Yeah, big, ugly foreheads aren't my type either." Naruto facepalmed at that callus remark.

"Konohamaru." He warned, gaining the kid's attention, "I would suggest you run."

That was when the Third's grandson realized his mistake and took off like lightning, running away from the enraged Sakura who gave chase. Naruto sighed once again and decided to follow; who knows what trouble they could get into.

That's when he heard the yell of pain. He just shook his head and ran to see what was going on, not sure what to expect.


End file.
